What are the biggest NBA rivalries? The 80s and 90s saw the greatest battles the leagues had ever seen that always seemingly threatened to boil over.
Things have simmered down just a touch but there’s still animosity between these teams whenever they play. These are the ten best rivalries in the NBA:
10. Pacers vs. Knicks
Reggie Miller is one of the greatest players never to win an NBA championship, but he helped fuel one of the biggest NBA rivalries between the Pacers and the Knicks during the late 90s.
Meeting in the playoffs several times, the rivalry was often intense and physical, with star memorable performances from the likes of Miller and Patrick Ewing.
9. Rockets vs. Jazz
The Houston Rockets and Utah Jazz met four times in the playoffs during the 90’s which helped the rivalry develop into one of the league’s most physical encounters.
Hakeem Olajuwon partnered with Clyde Dexter and took on Utah Jazz’s Karl Malone and John Stockton in many memorable playoff showdowns.
8. 76ers vs. Celtics
The history and drama between Philadelphia 76ers and Boston Celtics has created a rivalry that’s considered by some to be the greatest. Matchups like Julius Erving versus Larry Bird, and more recently Allen Iverson and Paul Pierce have created high drama.
It was Wilt Chamberlain and Bill Russell however that created one of the NBA’s greatest individual rivalries, with Chamberlain and the 76ers ending the Lakers 11-year Eastern Conference champions streak in 1967.
7. Spurs vs. Mavericks
The Spurs and Mavericks rivalry is one of the biggest NBA rivalries and began surfacing in the 2000s fuelled by Tim Duncan and the Spurs dynasty winning five championships.
Dallas would earn their own success with the Mavericks winning a maiden NBA ring 2011 led by Dirk Nowitski. Historically it’s San Antonio that reigns supreme in the battle of the Texan giants.
6. Warriors vs. Cavaliers
The Golden State Warriors and Cleveland Cavaliers have only become big rivals in recent times with the teams meeting in four consecutive NBA Finals appearances during the 2010s.
LeBron James helped end a 52-year title drought for Cleveland in the 2016 NBA Finals series overcoming a Golden State 3-1 lead. The Warriors dynasty led by Steph Curry and Klay Thompson however would ultimately prevail during the decade.
5. Lakers vs. Spurs
The LA Lakers and San Antonio Spurs was the biggest NBA rivalry during the 2000’s as both teams dominated the Western Conference. The Lakers won five championships during the decade and helped them become one of the most popular NBA teams. San Antonio won four championships through 1999-2007.
Some of the greatest duels battled it out in the Lakers vs. Spurs rivalry including Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili, Kobe Bryant, Tony Parker, Shaquille O’Neal and Robert Horry.
4. Knicks vs. Heat
The New York Knicks and Miami Heat rivalry peaked in the late 90’s and at one point was the biggest in the league when they met for four consecutive years in the playoffs.
Every game was played with intensity, aggression and plenty of fouls. Patrick Ewing vs. Alonzo Mourning became an iconic duel in this rivalry with the pair playing 45 times against each other.
3. Knicks vs. Bulls
Michael Jordan and Patrick Ewing, friends off the court, were involved in a heated exchange and had to be pulled apart during a Eastern Conference Finals series. Unfortunately for Ewing he is one of the best players who never won an NBA championship.
John Starks had the rarity of being able to limit Michael Jordan’s game. Scottie Pippen’s posterizer on Ewing and taunt on Spike Lee threatened to take the rivalry nuclear.
2. Pistons vs. Bulls
The 80’s saw the Detroit Pistons and Chicago Bulls rivalry really kick off. Separated by only 280 miles, the largest two metro areas in America’s Midwest. The feud between Chicago native Isiah Thomas and Michael Jordan is what the rivalry’s all about.
Detroit’s “Bad Boys” were the one team that could stop Jordan, inventing the ‘Jordan Rules’ by limiting clutch shots and playing excessively physical. Phil Jackson eventually turned things around with his “Triangle Offense” which saw the Bulls win six titles during the 90’s.
1. Lakers vs. Celtics
The Boston Celtics and LA Lakers are the biggest rivals in the NBA. They’re the two most successful teams in the league by far, and the two oldest with the Celtics founded in 1946 and the Lakers the year after. Throughout the 80’s the Lakers and Celtics rivalry exploded.
Larry Bird and Magic Johnson battled one of the NBA’s greatest duels. The East Coast-West Coast battle also threatened to go nuclear with Bird labelled the “Great White Hope”, against the African-American stars of the Lakers.
